1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to dynamically creating a message mailbox, such as a voice mailbox, as the mailbox is needed and, more particularly, to a system for creating a system-wide mailbox at the system or platform level and at the time the mailbox is actually needed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional systems require that a message mailbox, such as a voice mailbox, a facsimile mailbox, a video mailbox, an e-mail mailbox, etc., be created and activated prior to the mailbox being used by a subscriber or callers of the subscriber. That is, conventional systems require that a service provider "provision" mailboxes on a system before the system allows the mailbox to receive messages. The provisioning of mailboxes can be accomplished in two general ways: 1. create all the mailboxes that will be needed ahead of time, that is, assume that every telephony customer has a mailbox (universal provisioning); or 2. require that a subscriber contact a customer service representative to subscribe to the service, with the customer service representative creating and activating the mailbox. The first method wastes resources because typically much less that 50% of a customer base subscribes to a voice mail service. The first method also slows performance because a very large set of subscriber records must be searched each time a mail box is accessed. The second method involves a customer service agent, which is costly and time consuming.
Systems have been produced in which a voice mail application program creates a mailbox upon call arrival at the voice mail system if the mailbox does not exist. In such systems where mailboxes are created without exception, the voice mail system must be assured that the system receives only calls that are destined to subscribers of the voice mail system, i.e. the system does not receive calls that are destined to non-subscribers. The problem in such systems is that all call arrivals create a mailbox, even when a called number is not that of a subscriber, (eg. a wrong number was dialed or the call is to a pay telephone) or the calling party is not a subscriber (eg. a pay telephone is the source of the call). Because the mailbox is created upon arrival, these systems also create a mailbox even when the calling party decides not to leave a message or hangs up after a few seconds of silence. This created mailbox is permanent and remains on the system even if a message is not stored in the mailbox. These systems, like the universal provisioning systems, create mailboxes that are not needed, which wastes system resources.
It is also often the case that a subscriber to a voice mail service will want to and some service providers would prefer to allow subscribers to send or leave messages for non-subscribers or for subscribers of other voice mail systems ("non-local subscribers") for an extra fee. In such situations it is not practical to provision for all possible message recipients as discussed above.
A problem with, automatically created mailboxes is that the process can be subject to "hackers". A hacker could set up a mailbox for a pay telephone and thereafter send and receive messages without being billed.
Another problem associated with automatically created mailboxes is that the number of recipients may be incorrect.
Many telephony service providers are considering the deployment of universal messaging systems that provide voice mail messaging service as part of the telephone subscribers' basic service. In such systems, if the mailboxes are created by service agents, the administrative burden of creating a mailbox for each subscriber using service agents is also great.
What is needed is a system that automatically and dynamically creates a mailbox as the mailbox is actually needed for valid telephone numbers without the previously required administrative burden.